Senior Manager, Communications

Job Title: Senior Manager, Communications 

About Evidence Action:

Evidence Action aims to be a world leader in scaling evidence-based and cost-effective programs to reduce the burden of poverty in the some of the poorest places.  Our large-scale, evidence-based programs are rigorously evaluated to ensure they reach the greatest amount of people in the most cost-effective ways.  No matter what the position, each member of our team is motivated by the fact that the hard work we do does make its intended impact.  Collectively, our at-scale initiatives measurably reach over 280 million people annually, and we continuously seek dedicated and mission-driven people to help advance this rare, and large-scale, global impact. 

Are you are passionate about data and evidence? Do you want to ensure your talents and skills are directly applied to programs that generate meaningful and long-lasting impact?  Then Evidence Action is the place for you.

Job Purpose:

Evidence Action has quickly grown over its first six years of existence as a result of our unique model, proven track record, and alignment with principles of effective altruism. As we move into the next phase of organizational growth and with a new strategy aiming to double our impact by 2024, we are seeking to expand our communications and broaden our outreach in the global development community and with the broader public.

Working in close collaboration with the Chief Engagement Officer and communications team members, this position will execute and continuously refine a strategic communications plan designed to significantly increase Evidence Action’s brand visibility among professional peer organizations, existing and potential donors and supporters, and partners. The Senior Manager, Communications will conceptualize, implement, and evaluate communications goals and strategies across Evidence Action while supporting overall program-related external communications and knowledge dissemination.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The ideal candidate:

• Is deeply passionate and knowledgeable about Evidence Action’s ability to measurably improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people, and believes in the twin goals of “Evidence” and “Action”
• Is solution oriented and an adaptable team player who is interested in being part of a fast-paced, growing, and diverse organization with a start-up atmosphere 
• Has a honed ability to communicate the organization’s vision, mission, and impact, enabling greater engagement with the public, media, partners, and potential donors
• Brings strong interpersonal skills and is comfortable managing and driving results in a global and matrixed environment.

Responsibilities will Include:

Strategy and Management

• Develop/refine comprehensive organizational communications strategy, incorporating best practices and with a clear focus on value for money
• Supervise and mentor communications staff and provide communications guidance and coaching to program staff
• Lead development of crisis communication plans for programs and organizational functions in close collaboration with relevant teams, and including training for staff on crisis communication preparedness
• Support budget development and management for the communications team
• Tailor and enforce brand guidelines across organizational communication 

Digital Marketing and Media Engagement

• Design year-round digital marketing initiatives to increase awareness of the organization and specifically email subscribers
• Oversee digital media creation, including development of compelling video and photographic content
• Track analytics for all online content and campaigns, grow conversations for specific campaigns and goals online
• Develop relationships with media and manage media inquiries, including placement of opinion editorials developed with organizational leadership

Content Creation

• Develop compelling and visually appealing collateral for engagement with media, government partners, donors, and other stakeholders
• Lead development of clear, engaging content for website (blog posts, landing pages), and initiatives to improve website design and user experience
• Collaborate with program, country, and function staff to ensure a steady stream of diverse content for Evidence Action’s newsletter, website, blog, and social media

Organizational collaboration

• Advise human resources with recruitment marketing/employer branding initiatives and support/lead development & execution of initiatives
• Support fundraising team with fundraising campaigns, particularly end-of-year digital fundraising campaign, including creating content/copy for fundraising appeals 
• Support/lead internal communication efforts aimed at improving culture; cultivating alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and values; and apprising staff of developments across the organization 

Qualifications:

Evidence Action places strong value on relevant personal qualities: entrepreneurialism, responsibility, tenacity, independence, energy, and work ethic. We seek a highly committed and adaptable individual with a track record of delivering quality results in quickly changing circumstances. The ideal candidate should be able to work independently and effectively in a high-pressure, unstructured environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

Required Skills and Experience:

• 7+ years of progressive experience in communications/public relations, preferably in the field of international development
•  Flexible and adaptable with extremely strong written and verbal communication skills and high emotional intelligence
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute comprehensive, multi-faceted project plans in a small, team-based, dynamic environment with shifting priorities
• Proven experience with media relations (building relationships with media, writing press releases, placing opinion editorials), with strong networks with international and, preferably, African media outlets
• Proven experience in the development and execution of digital communication strategies, and in undertaking crisis communication planning & simulations
• Experience with setting goals/KPIs for communications efforts and measuring/communicating the performance of communications efforts (including, but not limited to, experience with Google Analytics)
• Interest and experience in storytelling as a means to support communication of impact, and distilling complex and/or technical issues into compelling communications materials
• Entrepreneurial and data-driven approach to decision-making
• Outside the box thinker, with a “roll up your sleeves mentality” who is willing to test and deploy innovative approaches in line with Evidence Action’s values
• Comfort working and building trust with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and with geographically distributed staff and matrixed teams
• Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree or continued professional development preferred
• Adept at Microsoft Suite, Google suite, and high overall technology literacy
• Authorization to work in the United States

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud tools (particularly Indesign, Illustrator, Premier, Spark)
• Familiarity with digital advertising tools, including Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads, Google Ad Grant, Google Display Network, YouTube Ads

Position Location:

Washington D.C

Working Conditions: 

Occasional international travel (~10%) anticipated.

Direct Reports:

Associate, Communications 

Equal Opportunity: 

Evidence Action does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.